One of the first steps in designing a comprehensive approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions is to conduct an inventory that identifies the origins of your agency’s (or community’s) greenhouse gas emissions originate. By understanding what activities generate the greatest amount of greenhouse gas emissions, it is possible to prioritize subsequent activities to reduce the emissions in order to achieve the greatest reductions feasible.
Climate action plans are comprehensive roadmaps that outline the specific activities that an agency will undertake to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Climate action plans build upon the information gathered by greenhouse gas inventories and generally focus on those activities that can achieve the relatively greatest emission reductions in the most cost effective manner.
Climate change will impact California in a number of critical ways, including impacts on agriculture from changing in weather patterns, water availability, increased severe heat events, droughts, heavy rains, reduced snow pack, rising sea levels, and changes in disease patterns. Thus, California cities and counties need to begin to plan now to adapt to the impacts of climate change.